System for producing butter



Oct. 20, 1942. P. A. VAN DER MEULEN 2,299,440

SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING BUTTER Filed Aug. 8, 1939 o 1/ 29 3 l2 0 /2 v 3 7 32 16. v u I 25 INVENTORS 6Z5, A Md. M,

BY M' 7 TORNEY Patented Oct. 20, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING BUTTER Peter A. van der Meulen and David Levowitz, New Brunswick, N. 1., assignors to Research Corporation, a corporation of New York Application August 8, 1939, Serial No. 289,018

(Cl. sr-si) V i the particular dairy utilizing the system. A pipe 6 Claims.

In Patent No. 2,168,376, issued August 8, 1939, to Peter A. van der Meulen and David Levowitz,

there is disclosed a process for producing butter that is capable of continuous operation. This continuity of operation is made possible by virtue of the fact that butter is produced, according to the process, without using a churn. Briefly, the process consists of mixing cream and water in proportionate amounts, heating the mixture and delivering the mixture to a centrifuge that is adjusted to deliver a product containing at least eighty percent butter fat.

The primary object of the invention herein disclosed is to provide a system and apparatus for performing this process of producing butter. Another object of the invention is to provide a system of this nature that is simple of construction, readily installed, inexpensive to maintain efficient in operation and that is capable of carrying out the aforesaid process of producing but ter as a continuous operation. A furtherobject of the invention is to provide improved apparatus for such a system. I

These objects and certain advantages which will hereinafter appear are'realized in the system and apparatus illustratedfin the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of one system embodying the invention; and v Fig. 2 is a fragmentaryfelevation, partly in section of a separator that may be used in the system.

In general, the system illustrated in the drawing comprises a cream storage container in which a supply of cream of proper butter fat content is maintained. This fiream storage container is connected to a mixer "which is also connected to a source of water. The mixer is such as to mix cream and water in proportionate amounts. The outlet from the mixer is connected to a heat transfer device preferably of the type that is capable of. heating a liquid as it flows therethroug h. In the heat-transfer device the water-cream mixture is heated to th proper temperature and delivered to a centrifugal separator to which the heat transfer device is connected.

The cream storage container of the specific system illustrated in the drawing is indicated as a large storage tank I. The size of this tank will of course vary with the size of the remainder of the system which is designed in accordance with th desired rate of butter production. The tank I is connected to a mixing valve 2 by a pipe 3.

A supply of water is available. This may be the municipal water supply or a private supply of 55 ture.

cream mixture at this elevated temperature for 4 connects the mixing valve 2 to the water supply. This mixing valve may be any one of the many such valves that are available on the market. Its function is to bring together the water and cream as they flow continuously in proportionate amounts. Preferably, th valve is adjustable so that the water and cream may be mixed in varying proportions between one part of cream to one part of water and one part of cream to ten parts of water.

The outlet from the mixing valve through which the water-cream mixture flows from the valve is connected by a pipe 5 to the intake side of a pump 6. This pump is of the positive-displacement type so that'the water-cream mixture is delivered at a constant rate of flow. Preferably, a1- thcugh not necessarily, the pump may be of variable capacity. The function of the pump is to effect, at a constant rate, a continuous flow of liquid through the system. This pump may be driven by an independent source of power such as an electric motor (not shown) directly connected thereto.

The outlet, or pressure side of the pump is connected by a pipe i to the inlet side of a heattransfer device 8. This heatetransfer device may be one .of the usual and well known types in which, th liquid to be heated, in this instance the water-cream mixture, passes through one or more heat-transfer coils in a continuous stream. These coils are within the container that is maintained filled with a heating medium such for example as steam. However, the type' of heater shown in the drawing of which the well-known Full-Flo is an example, is better suited to the dairy industry because the plate heat exchange surfaces thereof are more easily cleaned. The capacity of the heater should be such as to heat the water-cream mixture passing therethrough to a temperature between and F. Prop.- er temperature regulators (not shown but well known in the heat-transfer art) are used'to' regulate the temperature of the water-cream mix- If it be desired to maintain the watera period of time, the heat-transferdevice will be designed accordingly, i. e. to regulate the timeof passage of the water-cream mixture therethrough. In the heat transfer device shown the heating fluid or steam enters through a supply pipe 8', passes through as indicated and is discharged through a pipe 8".

From the heat-transfer device, the watercream mixture passes at the elevated temperaillustrated in Fig. 2, by afiixing two large spouts l2, l2, larger than normally used, on opposite sides of cream receptacle II and in communica- I tion with the chamber of the receptacle. The cream receptacle II and inlets to spouts I2, l2 are heated, preferably maintained at a temperature of substantially 130 F. The heating is accome plished either by surrounding the cream receptacle H with electrical heating elements (not shown) or by a water jacket. In the latter instance the water jacket comprises a separate annular chamber made by attaching in inverted position a.trough like member 29 to the bottom of receptacle III The member 29 preferably extends at least part way into spouts l2 to permit heating of these portions of the passages through which the butter moves in leaving the centrifuge. An inlet 3| and preferably a plurality of such inlets permit entrance of heating fluid into the chamber 30; -the fluid leaves through outlets 32,

32. Hot water may thus be circulated through this chamber and maintain the cream receptacle II and spouts l2, l2 at the desired temperature to maintain the butter in condition to flow freely. The spouts I2, I Z'discharge into a, common collector conduit I3 which is preferably heated.

Many of the features of the separator shown in Fig. 2 will be recognized by those familiar with the art as standard with several well known makes of cream separators. The mixture to be separated is fed through 'a feed pipe l9 into the receptacle on top of the apparatusfrom which it flows by gravity into the interior of the revolving bowl 22. After separation in bowl 22 the two components of the mixture, in this case butter substance and wash water, flow separately from the bowl, the'former through a conventional out let including a cream screw generally designat ed by numeral 21 into receptacle II, and the latter over weir 24 into receptacle 25 and through spout 26 to drainage. The assembly of receptacles, covers and spouts which nest together are fastened to the frame of the separator with a plurality of strap clamps 33. The bottom of clamp 33 is bent in hook fashion to attach under bead 34 at the top of the frame of the separator. To the top of the clamp a member 36 is movably attached, one end of member 36 being adapted for a finger grip'the other end being shaped to fit into fixture 31 which is riveted to the top of the top cover. By manipulating member 36, tension in strap 33 can be lessened and. the strap removed.

In the position shown, the covers are held tightly in position on top of the separator frame.

The collector conduit l3 delivers the molten butter through a conveyor I! to a cooling drum M, from which it is delivered to a conveyor and Worker I5. The flow of cooling liquid to and from the drum is indicated by the lines l9. The amount the butter is cooled on the cooling drum will depend to some extent upon the amount of working to be done on'the butter. Before the butter reaches the cooling drum, salt may be added if the butter is to be salted. From the Worker l5 the butter passes to a screw conveyor 20 by which it is delivered to a forming and packaging machine.

From the foregoing description of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, it will be seen that by this invention there is provided a system for producing butter that is capable, of continuous operation. It will be obvious that various changes may be" made by those skilled in the art in the details of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing and described in detail above within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A system for producing butter comprising in combination a cream storage container, a supply of water, means for mixing cream and water in proportionate amounts connected to the cream storage container and the water supply, means for heatin the water-cream mixture, and a centrifugal separator connected to receive the watercream mixture and adjusted to deliver a product possessing the properties of butter and containing at least eighty percent fat, whereby butter is. obtained directly from the separator.

2. A system for the continuous production of butter comprising in combination a cream storage container, a supply of water, means for mixing cream and water in proportionate amounts connected to the cream storage container and the supply of water, means for heating the water-cream mixture, a centrifugal separator connected to said heating means and adjusted to deliver a product possessing the properties of butter and containing at least eighty percent fat, whereby butter is obtained directly from the'separator, and means for causing acontinuous flow through the system.

3. A system for the continuousproductionof butter comprising in combination a cream storage container, a supply of water, a mixing valve for mixin the cream and water in proportionate amounts connected to the cream storage container and the watr supply, means for'heating the water-cream, mixture, a centrifugal separator, and means for effecting a continuous flow through the system, the centrifugal separator'being adjusted to deliver a product possessing the properties of butter and containing at least eighty percent fat, whereby butter isobtained directly from the separator.

4. A system for the continuous production of butter comprising in combination a cream storage container, a supply ofwater, a mixing device for mixing the cream and water in proportionate amounts connected to the cream storage container and the water supply, a heat-transfer device for heating the water-cream mixture in continuous flow, a centrifugal separator connected to the heat-transfer device and adjuswd to deliver a product possessing the properties of butter and containing at least eighty percent fat, whereby butter is obtained directly from the sep; arator; and means for effecting a continuous new through the system.

5. A system for the continuous production of. butter comprising in combination a cream storage container, a supply of water, a mixing valve for mixing proportionate amounts of cream and Water connected to the cream storage container and the water supply, a heat-transfer device for heating the cream-water mixture in continuous flow connected to the mixing valve, a centrifugal and adjusted to deliver a product possessing the storage container, the said fluid heating means properties of butter and containing at least being arranged to supply heat so that the temeighty percent Iat, whereby butter is obtained perature of the water-cream mixture is above the directly from theseparator, and a pump for efnormal temperature of the supply, and a cenfecting a continuous flow through the system. 5 trifugal separator being adjusted to deliver a 6. A system for producing butter comprising in product, possessing the properties of butter and combination a cream storage container, a supply containing at least eighty percent fat, whereby of water, fluid heating means, means for mixing butter is obtained directly from the separator. the cream and water in proportionate amounts PETER A. VAN DER MEULEN. connected to said water supply and said cream 10 DAVID LEVOWITZ. 

